1,300 tourists arrive during first 3 days of Phuket Sandbox - 12,000 arrivals expected in July

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Rotem and Dani, newly-arrived tourists from Israel, sit in a jacuzzi as Phuket reopens to overseas tourists, allowing foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to visit the resort island without quarantine, in Phuket, Thailand July 2, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

More than 1,300 foreign tourists have arrived in Phuket in the first three days of the 'Phuket Sandbox' project.

 

Channel 7 News reported that another 400 tourists will arrive on Sunday (July 4) and that 12,000 foreign tourists are expected to arrive on the island in July.

 

The arrivals attended the Welcome to Colorful Phuket event at Patong beach where there was music, local street food and firework and bonfire shows. More activities and events for the Sandbox tourists are due to take place throughout the month. 

 

Those to arrive on the island have mainly been from Europe with Phuket set to welcome weekly flights from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London and Zurich until September.

 

Meanwhile,  officials in Phuket said that none of arrivals have tested positive for COVID-19.

 

Previously tourism chiefs said they expect 100,000 tourists to visit Phuket as part of the Sandbox project.

 

Last week, Thailand's Tourism Council said that as many as three million foreign tourists could visit Thailand before the  end of the year. 

 

The numbers of foreign tourists arriving in the country would be boosted by the Chinese arriving in October, providing their government allows overseas travel, the council said. 

 

 

-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-07-04

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Excel]

Is it me or does something appear not right with that picture as their heads do not appear to be over the bodies, almost like a poor photoshopped example ?

[colinneil]

17 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

More than 1,300 foreign tourists have arrived in Phuket in the first three days of the 'Phuket Sandbox' project

I do not believe them figures, if correct where are all the photos showing the so called tourists?

Great show was made when Prayut was there, but only showed a mere handful of tourists.

No photos, no proof, why? Because it is just the usual BS.

[clivebaxter]

should be called arrivals not tourists, most appear to be expats and Thais returning home. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by clivebaxter

[smedly]

28 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The arrivals attended the Welcome to Colorful Phuket event at Patong beach where there was music, local street food and firework and bonfire shows

 

what, no photos of this spectacular event lol

[CharlieH]

Surely the logical promo shot wouold be the throngs arriving at the Airport ? 2 guys, from 1300 ..???????? yeah right.

 

"The arrivals attended the Welcome to Colorful Phuket event at Patong beach where there was music, local street food and firework and bonfire shows"

 

And not one pic ?

[smedly]

18 minutes ago, Excel said:

Is it me or does something appear not right with that picture as their heads do not appear to be over the bodies, almost like a poor photoshopped example ?

2 blokes in a jacuzzi - same photo as yesterday only different lol

 

it's a refraction in the water makes it look weird

[Excel]

13 minutes ago, smedly said:

2 blokes in a jacuzzi - same photo as yesterday only different lol

 

it's a refraction in the water makes it look weird

I thought of that but it does not explain it. If it was refraction due to a single lens camera than their heads would be juxurapositioned. They are not as one appears to have been transposed to the left and the other to the right.

[dyertribe]

Not tourists so much ... clearly delegates from various Tourism Industries, probably given a free trip

[Whale]

Every photo seems to be of this Isreali group who are not "tourists" but "delegates" from a tourist association.

 

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Those to arrive on the island have mainly been from Europe with Phuket set to welcome weekly flights from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London and Zurich until September.

You can count the UK off the list, Thailand has just placed it on the red list of countries not eligible for the sandbox.

[smedly]

55 minutes ago, Excel said:

I thought of that but it does not explain it. If it was refraction due to a single lens camera than their heads would be juxurapositioned. They are not as one appears to have been transposed to the left and the other to the right.

the photo from yesterday shows it a bit clearer - you can also just make out the lipstick from that one too

[ezzra]

Other Thai publications says 1,000 tourists have arrived, i guess it is not beyond vested parties, losing face and all, to inflate and fudge the numbers so they look good...

[gk10012001]

1 hour ago, clivebaxter said:

should be called arrivals not tourists, most appear to be expats and Thais returning home. 

Yes, an excellent point. 

[ChipButty]

Hopefully day bye day it will get better

[pagallim]

38 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Hopefully day bye day it will get better

 

It will for the first 14 days, and then we'll see if new arrivals outnumber those departing either internationally or to other provinces in future weeks.

[bobandyson]

3 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

should be called arrivals not tourists, most appear to be expats and Thais returning home. 

And it shouldn't be called 'Sandbox' but rather 'Door Mat'. Seems as though Phuket is being used to wipe ones feet before entering further into the country.

[Phuketshrew]

3 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

should be called arrivals not tourists, most appear to be expats and Thais returning home. 

Not only arrivals but arrivals that would have probably arrived for quarantine in Bangkok instead. It would be interesting to know the reduced numbers doing ASQ in Bangkok, but of course, no one would want to reveal this.

[ronster]

About as much use as selling doughnuts in the street was for Thai airways debt payment !!
Utterly farcical to the highest level possible ????????????

[madmitch]

Just seen Anthony Lark of the Phuket Hotels Association on BBC News. His first words were that it's a simple process! I wonder what thos posting on social media about the hassle involved in getting th COE would think of this.

 

Otherwise he was quite realistic, not expecting anything above a 50% occupancy level at hotels next season. That would refer of course to his four and five star hotels. The future for small hotel and guesthouse owners is still uncertain and quite worrying.

 

 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

You can count the UK off the list, Thailand has just placed it on the red list of countries not eligible for the sandbox.

Source please. 

[Thailand]

The festivities were abviously very private. With no cameras to record the historic events?

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Source please. 

Head to this thread and read through to the end you'll find source, 

 

additionally you can visit the official source here https://ddc.moph.go.th/uploads/ckeditor2//files/จัดกลุ่มประเทศตามความเสี่ยง กรมควบคุมโรค .pdf

[pagallim]

3 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Head to this thread and read through to the end you'll find source, 

 

additionally you can visit the official source here https://ddc.moph.go.th/uploads/ckeditor2//files/จัดกลุ่มประเทศตามความเสี่ยง กรมควบคุมโรค .pdf

 

That .pdf shows the UK as still being on the yellow/amber list.   Any other links?

[Bkk Brian]

15 minutes ago, pagallim said:

 

That .pdf shows the UK as still being on the yellow/amber list.   Any other links?

Did you read through the thread?

 

The source is also there, and the pdf from original source clearly now has the UK on it, in the highest risk category:

https://ddc.moph.go.th/uploads/ckeditor2//files/จัดกลุ่มประเทศตามความเสี่ยง กรมควบคุมโรค .pdf

 

So here's your links................any others you want please use google yourself, thanks and good day

 

[pagallim]

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Did you read through the thread?

 

The source is also there, and the pdf from original source clearly now has the UK on it, in the highest risk category:

https://ddc.moph.go.th/uploads/ckeditor2//files/จัดกลุ่มประเทศตามความเสี่ยง กรมควบคุมโรค .pdf

 

So here's your links................any others you want please use google yourself, thanks and good day

 

 

Not sure what the actual lists are for, however, I notice in the same column France, Portugal and Spain.   From what I'm reading on their spreadsheet, the colour category is regarding infection rates, from low to high to highest.

[Bkk Brian]

10 minutes ago, pagallim said:

 

Not sure what the actual lists are for, however, I notice in the same column France, Portugal and Spain.   From what I'm reading on their spreadsheet, the colour category is regarding infection rates, from low to high to highest.

Again, did you read the thread all the way through for explanation? Once you've done that then you know as much as I do.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1222546-uk-on-red-list/

 

[pagallim]

11 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Again, did you read the thread all the way through for explanation? Once you've done that then you know as much as I do.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1222546-uk-on-red-list/

 

 

OK, I have now, hadn't seen a link to the thread before.   We know there is ambiguity there, with a direct flight from Paris arriving on the 2nd, and from the UK on the 3rd (both red list definition from the 1st).   Both the UK and Thai press having nothing on it at all.   Let's see what happens over this next week.

[RichardColeman]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Channel 7 News reported that another 400 tourists will arrive on Sunday (July 4) and that 12,000 foreign tourists are expected to arrive on the island in July

I can believe these numbers.

 

I can also believe that the numbers for August and September will go down to 6000 then 3000 as the people that needed to get back are back and no actual 'tourists' - or very few - come

 

I also fully expect the local businesses to start ranting very soon about no income even with these 'fabled tourists' arriving

Edited July 4, 2021 by RichardColeman

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Excel said:

Is it me or does something appear not right with that picture as their heads do not appear to be over the bodies, almost like a poor photoshopped example ?

Are you looking through the bottom of a glass?????????????